East-West Center Annual Report 2001

[ 24 ]OutreachInternationalEducation WeekThe Center worked with nearly 50 organizations to coordinate statewideactivities during International Education Week. More than 800 people attendeda day-long event November 17 at the Center that featured activities and forumsfor students of all ages. Featured speakers were two students from Colombiawho have been nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for their work with theChildren’s Peace Movement in their home country.International Education Week is a partnership between the U.S.Department of Education and the U.S. Department of State. The StateDepartment website section on the Hawai‘i events noted: “the beauty of thisinitiative: no budget, only volunteers committed to the important goal ofpreparing America’s young people for the Global Age.”This is the second year that the Center has coordinated these activities.On the theme of “Building New Bridges to Global Understanding, Friendshipand Peace,” the day included a high school conference on Afghanistan and itsneighbors; a community forum on Islam; a panel of international studentsorganized by the East-West Center Participants Association to share perspectiveson the United States; global arts and crafts and story-telling for children;cultural performances by international students from the University of Hawai‘i-Manoa and Hawai‘i Pacific University; information and cultural boothssponsored by many global and educational organizations; recognition of fiveHawai‘i teachers for their global learning activities in the classroom; presentationof books donated to Hawai‘i schools by the Hawai‘i Chapter of the UnitedNations Association and by Nane Annan, wife of U.N. Secretary General KofiAnnan; and ethnic food prepared by local restaurants and international students.In conjunction with the weeklong effort, three CTAPS teachers wererecognized by the Hawai‘i International Education Week Committee for theiroutstanding contributions to widening student perspectives and encouragingcritical thinking through the use of global curriculum lessons.■ Susan Kreifels coordinates Education Week activities.Colombian students JuanElias Uribe and FarlizGuerrero (left and center)were featured speakers atthe daylong InternationalEducation Week program atthe Center.